15 Apr 2019

Team Gaborone emerged the overall winner of the just ended Local Authorities Health Inter-Sport Association (LAHISA) games held in Francistown.

Teams Lobatse, Kanye, Ramotswa, Tlokweng, Mogoditshane, Palapye, Serowe, Gaborone, Chobe, Jwaneng, Mochudi, Ghanzi, Francistown, Selebi-Phikwe, were amongst some of the local authorities that attended the games.

Athletes from the local authorities participated in a number of sporting disciplines such as football, netball, volleyball, pool, table tennis and darts.

Team Gaborone scooped medals in different sports codes including volleyball (ladies), netball and darts.  

The team was crowned bronze medalists in the ladies’ volleyball, while the gold medal went to Selebi Phikwe with 11 points after trouncing all its rivals. Tutume received a silver medal after losing to Selebi Phikwe in the finals.

Gaborone repeated it feat in netball by scooping position three while Lobatse won the gold medal after beating North East 29-28 in the finals.

Team Gaborone was the best of the best in darts scooping position one and winning a gold medal while Chobe won a silver medal and Lobatse won bronze.

In another encounter, Francistown men’s football team failed to use home ground advantage and they were trounced 3-1 by team Tutume at the finals.

Despite having experienced players in the likes of Joel Kgakge who once played for Boteti Young Fighters, Cosmos Sebona and former player for GNT, ECCO City Greens, and Sowa Flamingos, as well as Jackson Motswasele who played for Killer Giants and Sankoyo Bush Bucks, the team disappointed the Francistowners in a game that was played at Francistown Old Council Stadium.

Tutume only had two experienced players in the likes of Aobakwe Mopati and Goitsemodimo Duna but managed to beat Francistown.

All the four scores were scored in the second segment of the game.  Chobe went home with a bronze medal after they lost in the semi-finals against Tutume. The pool category saw Francistown winning a gold medal followed by Kanye, while Kweneng trailed behind with a bronze medal.

In table tennis, Ghanzi got a gold medal while Lobatse received a silver medal and the bronze medal went to Kweneng.

LAHISA project manager Lesiamang Lesiamang said Team Gaborone had the upper hand in the competition because they were well prepared for the games.

He said one of the main challenges was that some of the local authorities did not turn up for this year’s competitions because of lack of transport and other logistics.

Another challenge, he said  was that of sponsorship as only two companies amongst them First Capital Bank sponsored the tournament.

Lesiamang thanked Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA) and government for supporting the games, whose main aim was to unite employees and promote healthy living among public servants.

The games served as a preparatory tournament for the 2019 Southern Africa Inter-Municipalities Sports Association (SAIMSA) games, which will be held in Lusaka, Zambia from September 22-28.

Countries that will be represented at the SAIMSA games are South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia. ENDS